Cleveland Indians - TeamReport

June 08, 2013|Reuters

MLB Team Report - Cleveland Indians - INSIDE PITCH

The Indians' pitching staff overall this season has improved significantly from last year, which is one reason why the team has improved significantly. Two reasons for the improvement in the pitching staff is that No.1 and No. 2 starters Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez are both having much better years individually than they did last year.

However, another less obvious reason for the improved pitching this season is that opposing hitters are having a much more difficult time getting the bat on the ball this year. Opposing hitters are swinging and missing much more frequently than they did in 2012.

A year ago, Indians pitchers struck out the second-fewest number of batters in the American League. The Minnesota Twins were the only team in the AL whose pitchers had fewer strikeouts than the Indians.

This year, Indians pitchers have the third most strikeouts among all AL teams. Only the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox pitchers have struck out more batters than the Indians. Being able to miss bats is obviously a great way to limit the other team's ability to score runs, and in the course of one year the Indians have gone from being one of the worst teams to one of the best teams in the league in strikeouts by their pitchers.

Through June 6, the Indians had used 19 different pitchers this season, and 12 of those 19 pitchers are averaging over nine strikeouts per nine innings. Fifteen of those 19 pitchers are averaging over eight strikeouts per nine innings.

Of the Indians' 10 most used pitchers through June 6, seven of the 10 are averaging over nine strikeouts per nine innings. The two leaders in that category through June 6 are relievers Cody Allen, who was averaging 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings in his 24 appearances, and Rich Hill, who was averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in his 23 appearances.

Four of the five pitchers in the starting rotation were averaging 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings, or better. The only starter who wasn't was Zach McAllister. The other four were Corey Kluber at 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings, Scott Kazmir (9.3), Jimenez (9.1) and Masterson (9.0).

All those strikeouts have helped the Indians, 7-5 losers to Detroit on Friday, limit the opposition's run scoring ability and kept big innings by the opposition to a minimum. It's no coincidence that the strikeout totals for Indians pitchers this season has gone up so dramatically.

Team officials have clearly targeted power arms in constructing the pitching staff this season. Pitchers such as Kazmir, Hill, Bryan Shaw, and Matt Albers are all new additions this year and all of them have power arms.

In addition there are a handful of other power pitchers who were already in the organization but are playing more prominent roles on the pitching staff this year. Pitchers in that category include Kluber, Allen, Nick Hagadone and Scott Barnes. As a result, the Indians have a pitching staff from top to bottom filled with power arms, pitchers who are capable of getting strikeouts much more frequently than last year's staff.

--RHP Justin Masterson will try to bounce back from a poor outing when he faces the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. Masterson gave up seven runs, including two homers, in 6 1/3 innings against New York on Monday. Masterson's control has been issue in his last two starts, as he has walked seven. He has traditionally struggled at Comerica Park, where he's 1-3 with a 6.26 ERA in five outings.

--3B Mark Reynolds broke an 0-for-12 slump by going 2-for-4 on Friday. Reynolds batted .301 through April but his average has tumbled to .248. Manager Terry Francona said that playing third base regularly hasn't been the reason why Reynolds' average has plunged. Reynolds inherited that job when Lonnie Chisenhall was demoted on May 13. "To be honest, he's probably not a .300 hitter," Francona said. "He's going through a rough time, but he'll get hot again."

--RHP Chris Perez (right shoulder soreness) and his wife Melanie were charged with misdemeanor counts of drug possession Friday. The charges came after law enforcement officials were about tipped off to suspicious packages by postal inspectors and arranged a delivery Tuesday under surveillance. Francona said he has spoken with Perez, who is on the 15-day disabled list, about the incident but wouldn't elaborate. It's uncertain how the arrest would affect Perez's status.